Scrap compressing apparatus for electric furnaces



March 5, 1968 KUNITOSHI TEZUKA SCRAP COMPRESSING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES Filed 061. 22, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY W

March 1968 KUNITOSHI TEZUKA 3,371,599

SCRAP COMPRESSING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES Filed Oct. 22, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVEN'TOR.

W WWO March 5, 1968 KUNITOSHI TEZUKA 3,371,599

SCRAP COMPRESSING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 14 i i Em wlllllllll IMII H I M ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,371,599 SCRAP CGMPRESSTNG AlPARATUS FUR ELECTRHC FURNACES Kunitoshi Tezulka, 34 7 Minami Sunamachi, Koto-iru, Tolnyo-to, Japan Filed Get. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,819 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 28, 1965,

all/58,933

1 Claim. ((31. 100-215) ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE A horizontal pressing cylinder with a semi-circular portion first compresses scrap material against a corresponding portion. A vertical compressing cylinder then compresses the scrap into a cylindrical and somewhat concave casing. The vertical compressing cylinder is equipped with a plunger having cross plates at the undersurface thereof and a pressing plate mounted towards the bottom thereof. The cross plates can pass through channels in the pressing plate. Rotation of the vertical compressing cylinder further compresses the scrap into the casing.

This invention relates to a scrap compressing apparatus for electric furnaces.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel scrap compressing apparatus for electric furnaces in which scrap may be compressed to be formed into the interior shape of an electric furnace so as to facilitate feeding of the scrap into the electric furnace.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel scrap compressing apparatus for electric furnaces in which the scrap may be compactly compressed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scrap compressing apparatus for electric furnaces which can operate highly efficiently and can provide compressed material inexpensively.

The scrap compressing apparatus of the present invention comprises a horizontal pressing cylinder having a plunger formed with a pressing plate having a semicircular recess, a first compressing portion formed with a semi-circular portion in opposing relationship to said pressing plate, a second compressing portion underlying said first compressing portion, a carrier member movably disposed in said second compressing portion and having a casing fitted therein, said casing having a shape similar to the internal shape of the electric furnace, a vertically pressing cylinder having a plunger overlying said second compressing portion, said plunger of said vertically pressing cylinder having a pressing member rotatably mounted thereon, said pressing member being formed with cross plates in the undersurface thereof, and a pressing plate mounted in the lower portion of said pressing member through an annular member, said latter pressing plate being formed with channels for vertical movement of said cross plates.

An embodiment of the present invention achieving these described objects and comprising the aforementioned elements will be described in detail hereinbelow with respect to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an example of the scrap compressing apparatus for electric furnaces according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan and partial sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; the section being taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the pressing member and cylinder; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom View of the pressing member of FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is 3,371,599 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 shown a main body 1 and a scrap feed portion 2. Numeral 3 indicates a horizontal pressing cylinder while numeral 4 represents a vertical pressing cylinder. Numerals 5 and 6 indicate a cover plate cylinder and a carrier cylinder respectively. Each of said cylinders 3, 4, 5 and 6 may be actuated by hydraulic means.

As will be seen from FIG. 2, said horizontally pressing cylinder 3 is provided with a plunger 7 having a pressing plate 8 secured on the inner end portion thereof, said pressing plate 8 being formed with a semi-circular recess 8a. A first compressing portion 1a in said main body 1 is formed in a semi-circular shape in opposing relationship to said semi-circular recess 3a.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the cover plate cylinder 5 is provided with a plunger 9 having a cover plate 10 pivotally mounted at the end thereof by a shaft 11. The base of said cover plate 10 is pivoted to the body 1, and the cover plate cylinder 5 is pivotally mounted to the main body 1 by a shaft 13.

The vertically pressing cylinder 4, see FIGS. 3 and 4, is provided with a plunger 14 having a cylindrical pressing member 14a attached to the lower portion thereof, said pressing member 14a being formed with cross plates 14a, in the lower end thereof. Said pressing member 14a has a pressing plate 15 attached thereto through an annular member 16, said pressing plate 15 being formed with channels for vertical movement of said cross plates 14:1 which have a somewhat elongated back portion as shown in FiG. 1. Thus, the elongated back section is fitted for up and down vertical movement in the channels of the pressing plate 15. The pressing member 14a is adapted to be rotated through a suitable driving mechanism such as a motor or the like, which may drive through a conventional gear train which is shown in the drawings. Pressing member 14a is cylindrical and rotated about its cylindrical axis. In this way, scrap material will be compacted into carrier member 1b. Although this carrier member is shown outside second compressing portion 1b in the drawing, when the scrap is actually being compressed, this carrier member is located beneath pressing member 14a. The rotation of cylindrical pressing member 14:: aids in compacting the scrap inside carrier member 17.

A second compress-ing portion 1b is formed in the main body 1 below the above described first compressing portion 1a. In said second compressing portion 1b will be placed a cylindrical carrier member 17 formed with a bottom and having a casing 18 fitted the-rein, said casing being of similar shape to an electric furnace so as to correspond to the internal shape of the electric furnace.

A plunger 19 is provided for the carrier cylinder 6. This plunger 19 has a pressing plate 19a attached to the inner end thereof, and is adapted to force the carrier member 17 onto a table 29 by said pressing plate 19a after compression of scrap has been completed.

The apparatus of the present invention is constructed as described heretofore. Scrap is fed into the scrap feed portion 2, and then the cover plate It is brought into its closed position as indicated in FIG. 1. Subsequently, the plunger 7 is actuated by the horizontal pressing cylinder 3 so as to compress the scrap by means of the pressing plate 8 provided on the end of the plunger 7. Thus, the scrap is compressed into a cylindrical form by the semi-circular recess portion 8a of the pressing plate 8 and the first semi-circular compressing portion 1a.

Subsequently, the pressing member 14a is lowered by the vertical pressing cylinder 4 through the plunger 14 and thereby the pressing plate 15 is also lowered. Thus, the scrap previously compressed into a cylindrical shape by the pressing plate 8 of the horizontally pressing cylinder 3 is lowered into the casing 18 so as to be further compressed by the pressing plate 15. Further, at the same time, the plunger 14 is also lowered to cause the cross plates 14a to be downwardly projected through the channel provided in the pressing plate 15 so that said scrap is compressed by said cross plates 14a, with its pressure locally concentrated. Then the cross plates 1411 are raised while the pressing member 14a is suitably rotated, thereafter both the compressing operation by the cross plates 140 and the compression by the the pressing plate 15 are suitably repeated so as to compactly compress the scrap into a shape generally similar to the internal shape a of the electric furnace, with the aid of the shape of the casing 18.

The operation of the apparatus of the present invention is finally completed by forcing the carrier member 17 onto the table 21} upon actuation of the pressing plate 1911 through the plunger 19 of the cylinder 6.

In this case, however, the casing 18 fitted in the carrier member 17 is provided with a means such as a winch or the like means having its joint portions pre-connected by material of low fusibility, and by such means the compressed scrap in the casing 18 may be moved to a predetermined place and further to the electric furnace so as to be finally accommodated therein.

In the construction of the present invention as described and shown, a great amount of scrap can be compactly compressed into a shape corresponding to that of the electric furnace so as to facilitate feeding of the scrap into the furnace, whereby the melting of the scrap can be effected remarkably efiectively.

Although the invention has been described and shown by way of example, it should be noted that many modifications of the various parts are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. A scrap compressing apparatus for an electric furnace, comprising a horizontal pressing cylinder having a plunger formed with a pressing plate having a semicircular recess, a first compressing portion formed with a semi-circular portion in opposing relationship to said pressing plate, a second compressing portion underlying said first compressing portion, a carrier member movably disposed in said second compressing portion and having a casing fitted therein, said casing having a shape of an elongated hollow somewhat concave cylinder, a vertical pressing cylinder having a plunger overlying said second compressing portion, said plunger of said vertical pressing cylinder having a pressing member rotatably mounted thereon, said pressing member being formed with cross plates in the undersurface thereof, an annular member mounted about said plunger for limited vertical movement, and a pressing plate mounted on the lower portion of said annular member, said latter pressing plate being formed with channels for vertical movement of said cross plates with respect thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,813,040 7/1931 Ferris 100-238 X 2,507,491 5/1950 Crea.

3,005,403 10/1961 Van Endert.

3,124,062 3/1964 Thompson 100232 X 3,129,656 4/1964 Judd l00232 X 3,141,401 7/1964 Lindemann et al. 100232 X 3,249,039 5/1966 Yo Jonghe 100-96 3,253,537 5/1966 Porter et al 100238 X BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner. 

